robin
February 18th 05, 06:21 PM
Hi,
After my last Betta died off, I decided to leave the tank 'dormant' for
awhile, with just a neon, an apple snail (I think...) and a few ghost
shrimp.
After a few weeks, I decided since the neon and other critters were
still alive, the tank should be safe enough for another Betta. Well, I
got one, and noticed almost immediately that the shrimp were being very
aggressive with the Betta - they sneak up behind him, grab on to his
fins, and and appear to be trying to stuff the fins in their mouths.
The Betta really doesn't like this of course, and eventually shakes
them off. I moved two of the three shrimp to a seperate bowl, since I
figure the betta can handle a single shrimp for a little bit while I
decide what to do. The aggressive behavior seems to be continuing in
the shrimp I left in the tank.
I got the shrimp because they seemed pretty interesting, and I figured
they'd be good scavangers. However, if I have to get rid of them or
the Betta...
So, what should I do? Should I trust that the betta can take care of
himself and put the shrimp back in? Should I just get rid of the
shrimp? Do I maybe need to feed them more? I've been using dried
bloodworms and a few tiny flakes of 'betta bites' every morning, which
all get gobbled up pretty quickly. I don't want to overfeed,
especially in this small tank.
Oh, and the tank is a very small one - 3 gallon eclipse unit. It is
also planted with a banana plant and a few anacharis.
Thanks,
-RN
After my last Betta died off, I decided to leave the tank 'dormant' for
awhile, with just a neon, an apple snail (I think...) and a few ghost
shrimp.
After a few weeks, I decided since the neon and other critters were
still alive, the tank should be safe enough for another Betta. Well, I
got one, and noticed almost immediately that the shrimp were being very
aggressive with the Betta - they sneak up behind him, grab on to his
fins, and and appear to be trying to stuff the fins in their mouths.
The Betta really doesn't like this of course, and eventually shakes
them off. I moved two of the three shrimp to a seperate bowl, since I
figure the betta can handle a single shrimp for a little bit while I
decide what to do. The aggressive behavior seems to be continuing in
the shrimp I left in the tank.
I got the shrimp because they seemed pretty interesting, and I figured
they'd be good scavangers. However, if I have to get rid of them or
the Betta...
So, what should I do? Should I trust that the betta can take care of
himself and put the shrimp back in? Should I just get rid of the
shrimp? Do I maybe need to feed them more? I've been using dried
bloodworms and a few tiny flakes of 'betta bites' every morning, which
all get gobbled up pretty quickly. I don't want to overfeed,
especially in this small tank.
Oh, and the tank is a very small one - 3 gallon eclipse unit. It is
also planted with a banana plant and a few anacharis.
Thanks,
-RN